Egg candling machine



2 Sheets-Sheet l Jjwefzof Clzarlesj/a Jan. 24, 1939. c. HARBISON EGG CANDLING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1938 Jan. 24, 1939. c. HARBlsoN -EGG CANDLING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ffwefdv Patented Jaa 2 4, 1939 t 2,144,657 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFI-TCE y Application isili rlslo. 214,184-

f My invention relates to egg candling machines greater diameter than the external diameter of 4and has for its object to provide a simple and the egg cups and of less diameter than the normal eiiicient mechanism whereby eggs contained in breadth of an egg. `By preference, I secure the what is called in the art a "illler" can be bodily grid to a rotary shaft having attached to it a 5 transported to and retracted from a series of counterweight, the operation of which is to nor- 5 spaced annular rotatable egg cups secured in the mally hold and return the grid tc an upright top of a light box and through which light is position andIpivot the tray upon this same shaft. transmitted from the light box to the eggs sup- By preference also I provide for the operation ported on said egg cups. of my machine electric lights located in the light It will be understood that eggs are packed for box and other electric lights located outside of 10 handling and transmission in crates which are the light box and provide electric wiring for confllled by a number -of fillers 4and "flats", the necting the lighting system to a source of elecilllers being made up of strips of cardboard or tricity having 8 Switch nrmally Opening the .Cirthe lilfre sointerengaged as to form a series of cuit connected with the light bulbs in the light squares somewhat deeper than the normal length box and closing the circuit to the externallights l5 of an egg and the sides of which are so spaced Aand I prcvide Switch actuating mechanism Opelas to be distant from each other-by slightly more able by the movement of the parts transporting than the normal breadth of an egg. Each of the eggs to and from the annular' egg cups so as the llers rests upon what is called a dat, also to close the circuit leading to the light bulbs ot cardboard or the like, upon which the ends within the light box as the eggs are deposited 20 of the eggs located in the box like compartments on the annular egg cups and SimultancOuSlY Cut of the filler rest normally with the pointed ends off the current from the external light bulbs. contacting with the flat and the ilats by pref- My invention will be best understood as deerence being slightly dished in the portion which scribed in lconnection with the drawings in which is contacted by the end of the egg so as to tend F'igure 1 iS a plan View 0f my apparatus, the 25 to keep the egg in upright position. 'I'he normal parts being in the position which they occupy egg capacity for each filler is thirty-six eggs and during the actual candling of the eggs. the construction which I have described is stand- Figure 2 is aside elevation of the apparatus ardized. v taken from the right hand'side of Fig. 1.

The essential feature of my machine consists Figure 3 is a cross-section onthe line 3-3 of 30 in providing a light box with a series of annular Fig. 1, taken through the Switch mechanism by rotatable egg receiving cups extending through which the lighting means within and without the the top ofthe light box and opening into the light box are brought into Operation at proper light box, said annular egg receiving cups being times.

spaced to correspond with the ordinary spacing Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of 35 of the eggs contained in a filler and the upper approximately full size taken as on the line 44 ends of said egg cups on which the eggs rest while 0f Fi8 2- being candled extending above the top of the Figure 5 is a fragmentary section of approxilight box. In accordance with my invention, I mately full size taken as on the line B-l oi' Flg. 4,

40 pivotally support at one side of the egg box a. through the center of the egg cups, but showing 40 tray rotatable in an outward'direction to a posieggs in position on the cups sectioned through tion in which it will be adapted to receive and Athe grid, filler 8nd dat, and position a ller and iiat" chargedwith eggs Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating a modica'- and rotatable to an inner position in which it tion of the means for rotating the annular egg 15 will extend over the tops of the annular egg cups cups'. u

and I further provide a pivoted grid rotatable on A indicates the light box, the top A1 of which approximately the same axis as the tray from an is formed with a series of substantially circular outer position in which it will approximately openings A2 corresponding in number and spacing rest upon Athe top oi a 1111er resting on the tray to the egg containing compartments of the filler.

,10 and so spaced as to lie approximately parallel A series of electric light bulbs such as are indi- 50 t0 thc tray and rotatable to an inner position cated at B, B, etc. in Fig.i2, are located in the in which it will approximately :est upon the top light boxand connected with a source of electric 0f the light box, said grid being formed with a current B1 by electric wires indicated at B?, B3, series of openings spaced to correspond with the Bs indicating. the wiring connected to the source u spacing or the annuler ess cups and o t slightly .otcurrenm .i'third wire. n4, ieadsto means for u' lighting the chamber in which the box is located, indicated as a bulb B5, and the three wires con--v neet with a switch indicated at C and actuated by a push button C1 extending through 'the top of the box, the switch normally connecting the wires B2 and B3 being actuated by a spring C2 which thrusts the push button C1 upward. When the push button is pushed down the switch connects the wires B2 and B3 and opens the circuit including `the wire B4. D, D, etc., indicate a series of hollow cylinders extending through the circular'openings A3 in the top of the light box A, the upper ends D1 of which form annular egg cups.

The cylinders D are formed with annular shoulders D2 which support thorn on the top of the box top A1 and on the other side ci the box top .they are provided with gear wheels E, E', etc.,

which, as shown in Figs. Lti and 5, are engaged by reciprocable toothed-racks, indicated at El, movn ing in guides F. The ends of the rack bars are provided with downwardly facing toothed racks, indicated at E2, which are engaged by gear wheels E3 secured on a shaft E4, to one end ori which is secured a crank handle, indicated at E5.

In the modified mechanism for giving a rotary movement to the egg cups indicated in Fig. 6, the gear wheels E are geared together by a series of gear wheels G, G, etc., and an oscillatory rotary movement is given to 'the whole system by means of a toothed `sector G1, engaged with one of lthe gear wheels E and actuated by a lever G1. 1 l

H indicates a` rotatable shaft supported on standards H1, H1, located at one end of the light box and having attached to it, as shown, an armj'l1i to which is connected a counterweight H3 adapted to return and hold the shaft to one angular position. Pivotally supported on the'shaft H by means of arms J is a tray J1, the location of the shaft and its connection to the tray J1 being such that the tray can be swung from a receiving position, such as indicated in Fig. 2, to a position such as indicated in dot and dash lines in the same figure, in which it will extend over 'and lie approximately parallel to the tops oi' the annular egg cups D1. As shown, the tray J1, in its outer or receiving position, is supported von a bracket K attached thereto. It will be understood that the tray is o1' such dimensions as to extend beneath a ller and to insure the correct spacing of the lller upon the tray, it is advisable to have engaging stops, such as indicated at F and J3. Secured to the shaft H by arms L. L. is a grid lindicated at L1. its connection with the shaft being such that it can swing outward to a position extendlng over the tray J1 and substantially parallel to it and spaced from the tray by approximately the depth of a filler and fiat resting on the tray and can be swungr in the other direction to a position in which it will approximately rest upon the top of the light box, the construction being also such that the tray and grid in swinging from one position to the other will remain parallel to each other and practically retain their spacing from each other. The grid is toi-med with a series of circular openings l'..2 which are of slightly larger diameter than the egg cups D1 of the cylinders and oi less diameter than the normally greater diameter of the eggs packed in the filler so that the upper edges L3 of the openings U will serve as supports for theeggs and the 4thickness of the grid is such that when swung over upon the top A1 of the light box A its upper surface will lie slightly below the top amaca? surfaces of the annular egg cups D1. To assist in maintaining the iiller in proper registering position the side of the grid which contacts with.'

the ller is provided with lingers, as indicated at L4, L4, etc. which, when .the grid is in contact with the filler, lie in contact with its sides.

' The ordinary standard filler is indicated at M and is divided into thirty-six rectangular comq pertinents, the compartments being indicated at M1. N indicates the flat, one of which normally underlies each filler and is preferablyl formed with depressions, as indicated at N1, serving to maintain the proper alignment of the eggs when the iller is charged. O, O, etc., indicate eggs.

' In operation the grid L1 is normally in upright position, as shown in Fig. 2, in dot and dash lines, this being eected by the counterweight H3 and the tray J1 is in its outwardly extending position, resting on the support it, and the elec tric switchv C is held in position tc out oit the current kto the light bulbs E the light box and connect the external light bulbs i315. The oper ator then places a charged iiiler and an underlying at upon the tray J1, as indicated in. dash lines in Fig. 2, and then turns the grid E1 down upon the top of the filler, as shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2, and then turns the tray J1 and grid L1 upward and inward until the grid rests upon or approximately upon the top A1 of the light box, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. During the latter part of this turning movement the eggs in the filler are supported on the edges L3 of the circular holes li.2 of the grid until these openings pass over the annular egg cups D1, depositing the eggs upon the annular egg cups D1. As the grid approaches the top of the light box it contacts'with the push button C1, shifting the switch C to close the circuit leading to the light bulbs B in the light box .d and cut 01T the current leading to the external light bulb or bulbs indicated at B5. The operator then swings the tray J1 back to receiving position, removes the flat N, operates the gearing for rotating the annular egg cups as by means of the crank E and observes the eggs which, by reason of the light transmitted through them from the light box, will show to the'experienced observer defective eggs which can be removed. The flat N is then replaced over the iiller M, the tray swung back to contact with the dat and the tray and grid rotated backward to the original receiving position. 'I'he operator then releases the grid which is returned toits upright position by the counterweight H3, the ller and nat with the candled eggs are removed and the machine is then in position for the handling of another charged filler.

Having now described my invention, what l. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. An egg candllng machine comprising a light box, the top wall of which is formed with spaced openings corresponding in disposition to the egg receiving chambers oi' the llers used in the packing and transportation oi" eggs, a series of rotatable annular egg receiving cups located in said openings the annuli of which open into the light box and means for imparting rotary motion to said annular egg cups, in combination with a tray so pivotally supported as to be rotatable from a receiving position in which it ex tends outward from the light box to a position in which lt extends above the tops of the egg cups extending through the top oi the light box and a grid approximately co-axially supported anew:

n normally open switch in said electric circuit and with the tray and rotatable on said axis from an outer position in which it is approximately parallel with the tray in its receiving position and spaced therefrom by approximately the depth of an egg illler to an inner position in which it approximately contacts with the top of the light box, said grid having openings formed through it of slightly larger diameter than the outer diameter of the rotatable egg cups, said openings being spaced to pass over said egg cups when the grid is rotated toward the top of the light box and the inner edges of said openings of the grid being of less diameter than the greatest diameter of a normal egg so as to be adapted to serve as a support for the eggs, when they rest upon the grid.

2. An egg candling machine as called for in claim 1, in which the light box is provided with electric light bulbs, an electric circuit for connecting said bulbs with a source of electricity, a

means for temporarily closing said switch to energize the electric lights actuated by the movement of the grid as it reaches its lowermost position with regard to the top `of the light box.

3. An egg candling machine as called for in claim 1, in -whioh the axially supported grid is provided with counterweighting means operative to normally hold the grid in substantially upright position.

4. An egg candling machine as called for in claim 1, in which the axial support for the grid consists of a rotatable shaft to which the grid is attached and to which is also attached a counterweight operative to normally hold the grid in CHARLESHARBISON. go 

